Girls und Panzer: The Steel Bonnet
by Supralupocidit
Summary: Marie "Lupa" Grey has been the commander of Graham Academy for only a few months before they finally have their first real match, not in Senshadou, but in Tankathlon, a sport that has been gaining prominence. A bunch of American girls descended from Celto-Germanic cattle thieves, a dozen Italian light tanks, and a crazy war horse commander with personal demons. What could go wrong?
1. Chapter 1 - The Ballad

**First GuP fanfic, and the first fanfic I have written in a long while. Please be gentle.**

**Disclaimer: besides original characters, I own nothing.**

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><p>The soft, but distinct, rumble of the Ansaldo L5 engine could be heard, while the commander listened carefully to the radio. "Any sign of enemy mobilization?" the girl, situated in the gunner seat, facing a short-barreled 37mm in front of her, with two 8mm Breda machine guns above her, asked.<p>

"Nein, Fraulein." the voice over the radio, a German accent that contrasted nicely with the commander's American one, replied.

Lupa sighed, reclining with her head back, using her arms as pillows, whistling an old tune she couldn't remember where she had learned. Next to her, the driver simply sat, resisting the urge to nervously fidget with the hem of her uniform.

There was a loud bang over the radio, and Lupa swiftly seized it. "What was that?" she asked sharply.

"Commander, we've been spotted! One of our L3 has been taken out."

The commander, without saying a word to the driver or recon commander over the radio, rose from her seat and opened the hatch of the L5 turret, looking around to see the two L3/35 _controcarro_, armed with deadly 20mm anti-tank rifles, flanking the L5 at about two or three meters along with two other Carro Veloce, armed solely with machine guns. "You know what they say," she proclaimed, taking a moment to put her trademark steel bonnet on. "You want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Sick 'em, girls!" there was a screech as the commander unsheathed her basket-hilt sword and pointed it forward. On her mark, the CV-3 responded by racing ahead of the L5 to serve as shields, soon to be followed by the light tank with a 37mm gun in the hull.

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><p><em> IS there never a man in all Scotland, <em>

_From the highest state to the lowest degree, _

_That can shew himself now before the king? _

_Scotland is so full of their traitery._

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><p>The sun beamed down on the field, and the green grass and sound of birds chirping from atop the trees made the environment a pleasant atmosphere. Lupa couldn't help but sing loudly, an old child ballad that she had taught the rest of the girls, some of whom joined in, while their tanks sped forwards to aid the rest of their troops.<p>

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><p><em>'When John he looked the letter upon, <em>

_Then, Lord! he was as blithe as a bird in a tree: _

_'I was never before no king in my life, _

_My father, my grandfather, nor none of us three._

_'But seeing we must [go] before the king, Lord! _

_we will go most valiantly;_

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><p>This was the first match of the season for the Academy, all that was needed was one victory, the prize money could help afford heavier vehicles, capable of competing in Sensha-dou matches. It seemed like years since Lupa had been in a real tankery match, and while this sport, tankathlon, managed to capture the essence well enough, it just couldn't compare to the warring 10 - 30 ton metal behemoths she was accustomed to.<p>

While lost in thought, the commander stood at the hatch of the L5, the sounds of machine gun and larger caliber fire becoming louder and louder, until they were right on the spot.

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><p><em>You shall every one have a velvet coat, <em>

_Laid down with golden laces three._

_'And you shall every one have a scarlet cloak, _

_Laid down with silver laces five, _

_With your golden belts about your necks, _

_With hats [and] brave feathers all alike.'_

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><p>The deployment reached the scene of the firefight fairly quickly, unfortunately, a single CV-3 remained, which quickly fled behind the lines of the L5 and Praetorian guard. Sliding down the hatch and aiming the L26 on one of the surprised 7TP, she pulled the trigger, sending the round flying into the Polish light tank. There was a screech and a white flag appeared above the turret, but Lupa had no time to stop and admire her handiwork, grabbing another round and slamming it into position. Luckily, while she was doing that, the two _controcarro_ had provided fire support, easily knocking out two of the surprised tanks, while the remaining two quickly prepared to flee.

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><p><em>'Come, follow me, my merry men all, <em>

_We will scorn one foot away to fly; _

_It never shall be said we were hung like doggs; _

_No, wee'l fight it out most manfully.'_

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><p>"You should have expected the cavalry to arrive, shouldn't you?" the L5 commander asked with a sadistic grin on her face, while one of the remaining Polish tanks fired on one of her escorts, knocking the L3 out. "Don't let that bastard get away!" Ellen nodded, hitting the gas pedal and sending the L5 speeding forward, swerving to avoid fire from the enemy tank's own 37mm. "Alpha Squad! We'll split up to cover the two escapees. If you hit the mother load, tell us before confronting. Roger!" the remaining Reiver teams split up, one CV-3 following Lupa's 5 ton and the other two following Gertraud's <em>controcarro<em>. "Now we have to see whether this tank leads us to their commander's."

The L5 and CV-35 raced down the dirt road, the latter firing on the fleeing tank with it's machine guns, it's swiftness allowing it to seemingly attack from all flanks, while Lupa waited for the tank to either lead them to the commander's vehicle, or to a dead end, neither of which would end well for the 7TP.

Suddenly, there was a loud _pop! _and a round busted into the CV-35's side, causing the tankette to halt and a white flag to spring up from the hull, giving the 7TP leeway to swerve off road and out of range of the L5's 37mm gun. "Turn the tank around!" Lupa ordered Ellen frantically, cursing at the girl as she tried to turn it right. "Left! Left! We're being fired on from the - " her final word was blotted out by another round, this time banging into the L5. The small 5 ton tank shuddered for a split second, but they weren't knocked out. The commander got up from her seat, muttering obscenities, as she traversed the turret to the left to try and get a view of the enemy tank, only to hear another _pop! _as a round flew towards the L5. "They jammed the turret..." Lupa grumbled, realizing the enemy was playing a game with them. "Take my seat." she told the driver, who quickly obeyed without question.

The turret hatch opened and Lupa climbed out, first thing becoming visible was the steel helmet she wore on her head, nicknamed "steel bonnet," shining in the sunlight. Climbing out and examining the damage, she called out. "Looks like they got our suspension." her tone was disappointment. "We aren't going anywhere," for the rest of the match. She was about to attempt a suggestion before noticing a gleaming light in the distance. Luckily, the Reiver helmet provided a nice shade against the sun, but she still couldn't make out the source of the light.

Then there was another _pop!_ and the last thing Lupa remembered before being knocked unconscious was being thrown off the top of the tank by the sheer velocity of the round, and landing in a ditch.

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><p><strong>Appreciate any constructive comments, both positive and negative, thanks for your review and taking the time to read this<strong>.


	2. Chapter 2 - In the Dirt

**Apologies for the wait it took for this chapter to come about, I have been busy recently. Wanted to thank everyone who read this story (even if you didn't leave a review). Traffic Stats doesn't lie *evil smirk*.**

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><p>Her eyes opened, and Lupa could've sworn she saw blurry stars in the sky above her, but as her vision cleared, she realized it was still daylight, and the rest of the girls were standing over her. "Are you alright, commander?" one of the girls asked, her tone frantic.<p>

The Reiver commander replied with a groan, the attempt to rub the side of her head blocked by the helmet still rested there. "You did that on purpose!" one of the students bent over her looked up at the 7TP parked next to the knocked out Ansaldo 5(t); the commander looking down on the scene with a cruel, snide expression written all over her face.

"If you didn't want to take a risk, why did you even bother to sign up for tankathlon?" the girl asked, that cruel smirk Lupa decided she instantly detested not leaving her face for a second. "Perhaps you are one of the crowd who think Tankathlon is simply Senshadou with light tanks." her sneer seemed to curve even further, if that was at all possible.

Suppressing another groan, Lupa picked herself up, one arm against the ground, and another clutching at her sore chest. Something felt broken. All she wanted to do was fall back down, but the haughty blood of the Borderers refused. After stumbling for a bit, she adjusted her helmet and glared up at the commander. "Who are you?" she spat out a clot of wet dirt that had found it's way in her mouth.

"Adrianna Maczek, commander of the team that just knocked you out of the match." the haughty girl replied, Lupa suddenly noticed her vaguely Polish accent. "I must say, _commander_," the way she uttered that word seemed like a taunt at the L5 gunner. "I expected a much tougher resistance than the one I got. Maybe I overest-"

There was a loud metallic _clink _as a shot from the 20mm Solothurn collided into the turret of the 7TP, sending the commander falling back against the turret interior, and a white flag popping up. "What were you saying?" Gertraud interrupted, standing at the hatch of her L3 cc.

"I thought I told you to take out the tankette with the anti-tank rifle." Maczek hissed at the other 7TP commanders, who stood at their own hatches, stunned by the recent turn of events as their commander's tank was taken out. "Well, what are you -" she was interrupted once again by another blast, this time coming from their other flank, a lone Carro Veloce armed with a 37mm short-barrel gun, the same as the L5's.

"Perhaps, loud mouth, you should actually put your foot in your mouth." Johanna stated, while the remaining 7TP that attempted to flee was easily knocked out by the L3/35 cc. It made no difference as Graham's flag tank had already been taken out.

"Krojanty Academy wins the match!" someone announced, and the confused crowds broke into cheering.

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><p>Lupa stood, enjoying the flow of the warm water as it flowed down upon her head and down her neck.<p>

"You sure you're alright, commander?" one of the concerned students asked, knocking on the door. The L5 commander sighed, they still wouldn't leave her alone. She guessed she should've been grateful for such loyalty, but that didn't mean she had to find it necessary.

"I'm fine," she shouted back, gasping and clutching her side in pain.

There was some whispering on the other side of the door, before the classmate spoke up. "Okay, we're sorry for bothering you." she heard them complain as they stepped on one another's feet. Content at being left alone, Lupa grabbed a bar of soap and began scrubbing her arm, intent on removing the layer of dirt that had built up.

_If you didn't want to take a risk, why did you even bother to sign up for tankathlon?_

Lupa tried to avoid recalling those words and scrubbed harder.

_Perhaps you are one of the crowd who think Tankathlon is simply Senshadou with light tanks._

**That bloody smirk**. What she wouldn't have done to wipe it off that arrogant girl's face. What did she think she was anyway?

"Hey, Warden!" Johanna knocked on the door, using the pet nickname several girls of Graham's had taken to calling Lupa. To the uninitiated, it sounded derogatory, as if implying the commander was a sadist. Lupa knew the true meaning and allowed herself to be called it. She almost viewed it as a compliment. The March Wardens had not had an easy job. "There's someone to see you."

"Be out in a second," Lupa told her vice commander, wringing her hair.

"Oh yeah, walked past Olivia on my way here. Apparently, she and the other girls thought you were teasing the kitty." Joanna chuckled. "You know that'll make you go blind, right?" for the first time since a very long time, Lupa actually fell silent and blushed, before muttering.

"Pervert."

_Bloody Pringle, can't keep her mouth shut_. Lupa quickly dried off and put her school uniform on, instinctively reaching for her helmet and sword before remembering she had left them outside the bathroom, to avoid getting wet and therefore rusted. She couldn't help but feel exposed without them, like she wasn't wearing a shirt. Putting it into a corner in her mind, Lupa walked out of the room, looking to her right as Johanna leaned against the wall, checking her fingernails for dirt.

"Whoever is here, they're really high-up in Tankathlon." she said aloud, while Lupa motioned for her to lead the way, grabbing the helmet and sword that also lay against the wall. The L5 commander sighed in relief, feeling like she had put panties on, before quickly expelling the comparison from her mind. It felt awkward.

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><p>The two walked into the room where a young woman, in her twenties, with long braided blonde hair, green eyes, and freckles, stood waiting for them. "Greetings, Commander Marie was it?" she held her hand out for a handshake.<p>

"It's Lupa." the commander muttered, nevertheless taking the hand of the woman who had come to visit her.

"I saw you in the match this morning," the woman stated. "You did quite a job, it looked like you were going to chase the 7TP to the ends of the earth, possibly into hell." she chuckled, before motioning to one of the chairs. "Please sit down, you must be exhausted." although Lupa felt indignant about being offered a chair in her own damn school, she was too exhausted to offer any complaint and merely sunk into one of them, resting her head against the wall, the brim of her helmet coming down over her eyes and naturally blocking out the light.

After what seemed like forever, the woman finally spoke up. "You have very comfortable chairs here," Lupa didn't know whether or not she had fallen asleep in the short interval. "This could almost be a waiting room." the spacy room had once been one of the ball rooms of the time of the Confederacy, now converted into a sitting room for the girls of the Academy. "I wanted to ask you - what made you do it?"

"Do what?" Lupa asked, raising her head slightly to avoid falling asleep. It was only now, after sitting down and relaxing, that she realized how tired she was.

"Why did you stake everything on the possibility that you would find the enemy flag tank?" the woman asked, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "You charged at the enemy forces and chased them down until your own force was incapacitated by an enemy ambush. What brought on this berserk blitzkrieg? Were you afraid the enemy would have time to trap you with their tactics."

Lupa snorted. "Of course not," she replied, crossing her arms and legs. "They failed at tactics so badly, I came close to wiping them out with one stomp."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really." Lupa said, hesitating a moment before adding. "Could you please put that bloody thing out." she could never stand smoke, it was a wonder she ever got into tankery. "Their entire force broke apart after we reinforced our scouts. They were foolish enough that they didn't even enter into a formation. Their fleeing wasn't due to any tactical value, they were just scared."

"I see..."

"They would have won anyway."

"Oh really," the woman's voice actually seemed surprise. "Why is that?"

"Because they would've." Lupa replied, with some conviction. "They had Providence on their side today, no matter what I did, they would have won." she shrugged.

"You're a fatalist then?" the blonde woman asked, entertained by the younger girl and her answers.

"It runs in the family," Lupa pushed her steel bonnet up, allowing the light that shone through the window to flood her eyes. "When you live in a desolate land forced to plunder and loot alongside Hadrian's Wall each and every day, or work in the coal mines of the mountains, never knowing whether or not tomorrow will be your last, you kind of resign yourself to whatever Fate happens to throw at you."

"Well then," the woman rose from her seat, tossing her cigarette to the ground and smashing it with her feet. Johanna was about to move and say something before standing still and grumbling beneath her breath. "I just wanted to say that you're a talented young tank commander and I hope we'll be seeing more of you at Tankathlon." she offered her hand to Lupa once again, and the commander reluctantly took it and shook.

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><p><em><strong>Arrivederci.<strong>_


	3. Chapter 3 - Rottura Pt 1

**Wanted to get this written and submitted before the end of the month, apologies for any errors, and thank you for reading.**

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><p>The student council lounge room was silent, while the president sat on her favorite couch, leg crossed over another, not realizing she was giving Lupa quite the view. "So we lost the match..." Diana stated, her subordinates simply sat silently, not sure how to respond. "I'm afraid we won't have enough funds for Senshadou."<p>

"It's my fault," Julia said, head held low. "Forgive me, president."

"It's not your fault," Diana replied to the recon commander, her composure calm and collected. "This was our first match after all. And the school we went up against made quite a name for themselves in the tankathlon rings. I'm just afraid we won't have enough funds for Senshadou, at most we could afford one or two mediums, but even then, most of our lights are too weak..." she trailed off.

"Maybe..." Lupa muttered, not sure what she should say, before finally deciding. "Maybe we should continue Tankathlon." the room seemed to pause and the council members glanced at her, their expressions were ambivalent. Well, at least she held their attention. "There are several tanks I know of that weren't capable of competing in Senshadou, but would be perfect for Tankathlon."

Diana sat silently for a few moments, Lupa waited silently for her answer. "Very well," she replied, at what seemed like forever. "I will invest what little funds we have, but commander," she sat up straight, resembling one of the belles of the South with her curly blonde hair and stormy blue eyes. "Make sure you know what you're doing."

"President," Lupa smirked, resembling a wolf with her curled lip and dyed grey hair. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

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><p>"You have no idea what you're doing." Marcie said, sitting on Lupa's bed as the commander sat at her desk, looking over the team layout that she had spent the previous night planning. The curly dark haired girl was sitting upside down, back against the wall, feet in mid-air, and book in her arms as she read.<p>

"Yes, I do." Lupa sighed, glancing over at her "_friend_," if she could call Marcie that. The other girl was completely unlike her in personality, whereas Lupa preferred order and discipline, Marcie was spontaneous and erratic.

"Just because some dame pissed you off in your first match?" Marcie asked, when Lupa didn't reply, she added. "Don't be Graziani."

"_What_?"

"Don't be Graziani, he joined the Italian Social Republic to get back at Badoglio, at the end, he came close to being lynched by angry partisans." Marcie replied, in her rare moment of revealing the true extent of her knowledge. "Moral of the story: don't join something because you want to get back at someone." she stated, reaching into a bag on the floor and dropping cheetos in her mouth.

"Do you honestly have to do that?" Lupa asked irritably, annoyed at the prospect of having to dust cheeto crumbs off her bedsheets for the umpteenth time. The other girl stayed silent, save for the sound of chewing. The commander sighed and returned to her business.

"So what's your strategy?"

Lupa growled. "Whoa there, Mama Wolf, don't have to be so gray. Just want to know, if you plan on continuing this course of action, what your game plan is." Marcie turned upside down, and swung around to gaze at her friend.

"My plan..." Lupa grumbled, not sure what to say. "I don't really know. At the moment, the student council president is depending on me. We had enough funds to afford two new tanks, both of which will hopefully add firepower to our team."

Marcie continued digging into cheetos until the bag was empty. Crumpling it up, she tossed it into the trash next to Lupa's desk, licking her fingers and standing up. "Well, it's been nice, Loops, but I've got to hit the road. Seeya." she went out the door, leaving Lupa alone to contemplate what she said.

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><p>The next morning, the students were greeted to two new tanks in front of their garage, and a fully armed and armored Lupa standing on top of a L333. "Ta da!" Lupa exclaimed, garbed in the helmet and cuirass of the Border Reiver, armed with the basket-hilt sword she was famous for. Without a trace of hesitation, she swung her sword around and presented the two new tanks of Graham Academy to the girls.

"What the hell is that?" one of them spat out, the others gaped.

"Since we do not have enough funds to proceed into tankery, we shall commence into Tankathlon." Lupa said, proud of her ability to keep a crowd in attention. "I present to you, the Carro di rottura heavy tank!"

One of the CV.3 gunners became discouraged. "But Tankathlon matches regulate all tanks must be under 10 tonnes."

"And so this one is." Lupa replied. "The Carro di rottura is 9 tonnes, it's completely legal for tankathlon."

The students looked surprised. "Wow," one of the girls said. "Italians really labelled their tanks weird."

"It looks like a larger Carro Veloce."

"The 65/17 armament may be short, but it should be able to burst quite the damage at short ranges." Lupa continued, and the students looked over the tank with a mixture of trepidation and admiration. "Our biggest hurdle is it's low speed. It's highest speed is 20 km/h on road."

"That's..." one of the school council counted her fingers and did some math in her head. "12 mph!"

The students' excitement was deflated by the low speed, but they continued to admire the vehicle.

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><p>After allowing them some time to examine the new tank, Lupa pointed to the next one with her sword. "Here we have the first attempt to create a SPG by Italy," she claimed, the rest of the girls gazed at the vehicle in apprehension. "I always read about this vehicle, but it wouldn't be allowed in Senshadou, due to the open-top."<p>

"Open top?" one of the girls stammered. "The whole thing is open." the team that ran the tank destroyer would only have a frontal gun shield protecting them from enemy fire.

"With this little vehicle, we have serious teeth." Lupa declared, pressing the flat of her basket-hilt sword against her palm. "The 47/32 gun can penetrate 42 mm within 500 meters, it's our best gun in the game." she paused for a second and became much more solemn. "We cannot let ourselves lose our next match. Providence may or may not be against us, but regardless, we have to fight!" she exclaimed.

"Right!" the girls stomped their feet.

"Commander Trotter!" Lupa shouted, and the girl she called upon walked up.

Minna Trotter was a mousy girl, only 5'2, with skinny shins and buckling knees, and dark brown hair along with almond eyes. "Yes, ma'am?" she asked.

"Take command of this vehicle." Lupa proclaimed, pointing at the L3 da Semovente with her sword.

Trotter hesitated at first, the thought of driving something that left the crew practically naked in battle terrified her. "Right away, ma'am..." she finally managed to bring herself to say.

"I shall assume command of the 9(t), Elena will be my driver and Kerr will be the gunner." Lupa coughed into her hand, while Kerr and Ellen, the best gunner and driver in the entire school, walked up to take their place by the breakthrough tank. "The next round isn't set for two weeks. That's two weeks of practice, and time to become acquainted with our new tanks."

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><p><strong>As always, any reviews are appreciated.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4 - Flashback

The sun rose over the American school known as Reiver Academy, the birds seemed to come to life, chirping cheerfully and spreading their wings to express their enjoyment of the warm but breezy morning. Below them, students pointed and smiled. Soon, however, Fall would be coming, and the cute little creatures would begin migration.

Standing only a few yards from the garage door, Lupa took a second to admire the iconic scenery, before she turned her attention to the door again. The impatient girl checked her wristwatch, the student council president had told them to be there by 8:30, it was almost 9:00 and she wasn't known for being late, despite what her cheery, bubbly demeanor suggested otherwise.

There were butterflies in her stomach, anticipation building up like the shell of a high caliber tank gun. From what she had learned from the web, tankery could be intense. The sensation wasn't helped by the other girls chattering about what tank they hoped to get. Luckily, for the most part, the atmosphere was serene with a hint of cheery. _I never want this moment to end._

The girls were all divided into self-appointed cliques, based on collective shared interest. "I wonder what tank we'll get?" the co-captain of the girls' basketball team asked.

"Maybe a Tiger II so we can slam dunk the enemy." another member, Alessa, piped in.

"No, a tank destroyer, so we can smash the enemy with speed and firepower!" another one interjected.

"That's it!" they clapped their hands and did an esoteric handshake which meaning was known solely to them. "Basketball team forever!"

Lupa took a moment from her worrying to glance over and smile for a second. Breathing in the fresh air, she turned to try and find the rest of her friends, who were a few feet behind her. Wolf, Edda, and Erika. The four of them had signed up together, although they barely knew one another, with the exception of Erika and Edda. She had known Wolf in elementary school, but a lot had possibly transpired since then.

Almost like magic, the garage door started shaking, before slowly opening. Four to six, Lupa had a hard time counting, pairs of legs could be seen. Suddenly, there was a bam and the door came down again.

"Maria!" the loud voice of the student council vice-president could be heard.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" someone repeatedly apologized, before the door started opening again, revealing the student council, six students tasked with running the school.

"See Clarisse?" the president said, patting her second-in-command on the back and smirking.

Growling, Clarisse turned her head. "So you did." she grumbled.

The student council president smiled, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. Her blonde, curly hair was in perfect condition, and she looked and smelled like she had just taken a bath. Her grandfather, a wealthy Southern gentleman, had struck black gold in the Appalachian mountains, and used the money to found the school. Since then, it had been tradition that his daughter and later, her daughter, would assume the role of president of the student council.

Georgia quickly counted the number of groups, waving her finger around erratically. About nine in total, including a few individuals who didn't seem to have a group, and finally themselves.

"As you all know, we've decided to restart tankery this school year." she said nonchalantly, pulling out a muffin from her pocket, unwrapping it, and biting into it, chewing as she spoke. "Mmm... So, vhat ve gaught to do iz..." she swallowed. "So what we've got to do is practice, practice, practice. If we make it to the nationals, it could earn our school a lot of recognition, which we need." the students started chattering. "If you'll follow me."

Like the rest of the group, Lupa followed the student council president, amazed to see eight tanks already up and ready to run. From left to right a M4 Sherman and M4A3E2 Jumbo, a Cromwell, a T-28, SOMUA S35, a M3 Lee, a Semovente 75/34, and at the very end, a Carro Armato M11/39.

Another member of the student council, who had been surprised at the number of participants, whispered into Georgia's ears. "How do we decide who gets what?"

"That's a very good question." she chewed into the muffin and swallowed once again before speaking. "I reckon we have around nine teams." she gazed at the loners. "Hey, you all." she pointed at them. "Why aren't you in a group?"

"Those are the outcasts, ma'am." Clarisse murmured into Georgia's other ear, hand covering her mouth. "Snitches, cheaters, and rats in general."

"Hmm..." Georgia pondered for a few minutes. "You all get the M3 Lee!"

The loners looked surprised, but they wouldn't get anything but snubs from the other students.

"Now let's move onto you." she pointed at Sylvia. The pale, grey haired girl who looked like she never got out into the sunlight walked up. "You and your group will be in charge of the T-28." the other girl nodded in obedience. "Good. Congratulations, Wolf Team!"

Lupa kicked the ground in frustration at her rival getting a cool team name. She was interrupted from her brooding by Erika tapping her on the shoulder. "Did you come up with a team name last night?"

Hanging her head low, Lupa shook. "I wracked my brain out for hours." she explained, apologizing for her writer's block.

After a bit more organizing and random guesses on the president's part, the teams were all paired up with their vehicles.

"A Semovente 75/34." one of the girls, a member of a study group, spoke after being assigned the Italian tank destroyer.

"Never used by the Italian Army." another girl, the history buff of the study group, added. "Such a shame. Marshal Rommel and the Ariete could have used it." she started to tear up. "We should have won, dammit!" before being comforted by the other study group members.

"Looks like it's the Jumbo for us!" Georgia proclaimed merrily, walking past Lupa and her team. "Looks like you got the M11/39... Dog Team." Lupa winced at the team name. "When we first started the revival, all we had were Sherman tanks, and what fun would that be? I'm beginning to suspect trading it in for that might have been a mistake. Ciao." she walked away.

Utterly confounded, all of Dog Team stared at the Italian tank, not knowing how to respond. Two machine guns were in the turret, while in the hull rested a tank gun. "I know next to nothing about tanks," Wolf broke the ice, scratching the side of her head. "But even I know that can't be right."

Edda was the next person to respond, laughing in joy and stretching her arms out over the hull of the tank like she was giving a longtime friend an embrace. "Oh, M11! You served my ancestors in Africa to the best of your abilities." the Italian American immigrant said, oblivious to the weird looks the rest of her team were giving her.

"What are you going on about now?" Wolf asked, annoyed by Edda's random outburst. _The two were polar opposites_, Lupa had decided. One was the cold Teutonic daughter of the North, the other was the warm extroverted child of the Mediterranean.

"My ancestors drove this tank." Edda explained, letting go of the hull and glancing at Wolf. "They drove almost every tank in the Italian army, starting with the L3 in the Spanish Civil War, and ending in the P40 in the Waffen SS." she continued patting the hull gently, like it was a child.

The heartfelt explanation was interrupted by the student council president. "That's all for today," Georgia clapped her hands. "Tomorrow, the tankery instructor will arrive. I declare the school day off!"

The teams cheered, except for the study group, who looked like they had Christmas cancelled. "Umm, prez, are you sure you're allowed to do that?" the other member from before asked.

"It'll be fine." Georgia waved her hand dismissively. "Think of it as a field trip, or special project. I expect you all to do research on your tank and tankery in general. Dismissed!"


	5. Chapter 5 - Flashback: Waking the Wolf

**Hey guys, sorry to anyone who was interested in this and received no warning of a three month hiatus. I'm back, and going to try and publish more frequently. Hope you had a merry Christmas, warm New Years, and decent January.  
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**Shout-out to Thunderman88 for pointing out to me that Semovente 75/34 _had _been used by the Italian army in WW2, during the defense of Rome. Guess we can't always be right. :D**

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><p>"Why did you drag me out here in the middle of the night?" groaned an exhausted Wolf, while the other three members walked down the dirt road, nothing guiding them except Lupa's flashlight.<p>

"It's 5:00 a.m in the morning, Wolf." Erika responded, exasperated with the other girl's lackluster ethic, while a hopping Edda passed her.

"Exactly." Wolf replied, causing Erika to roll her eyes.

Lupa said nothing, simply nursing her bruised eye using her free hand. Waking Wolf had not been fun.

The assortment of tanks was up ahead. "Looks like we are the first to make it." Erika said, glancing at the Cromwell with admiration and a hint of jealousy. Lupa knew the British exchange student would give anything to drive the cruiser tank. The four of them walked up to the M11/39, looking it over to make sure it was in top condition, before Wolf took the initiative and climbed up onto the tank and down into the hatch next to the turret.

"Well, guess it's a good a time as any to get acquainted to our roles." Erika sighed, while Edda opened the side hatch and climbed in, and Erika did the same, leaving Lupa alone.

"Well," she breathed. "Here I go." she climbed up to where Wolf had been and slid down into the tank. "Ouch!" Wolf yelped. "Did you honestly have to climb in through there?"

"There's nowhere else to sit!" Lupa shouted back in anger, blushing as she realized her chest was pressed against her friend's back. "So I figured we should get our roles planned."

"I call being driver!" Edda shouted.

"I will be the machine gunner." Erika stated nonchalantly.

"That leaves me to be the gunner." Wolf shrugged, although Lupa could tell she was pleased with her role.

"I suppose I shall be the commander." Lupa sighed, wishing the tank was not so cramped. "This thing was only built for a crew of three." she had read as much as she could on the M11/39 the night before, to understand how to play to it's strengths and avoid it's weaknesses. It didn't seem to have any strengths. 32 kph on road, 30mm of armor maximum, a 37mm gun in a casemate with two 8mm machine guns in the turret. The only advantage she could think of was the diesel engine. _Great, so at least we won't burst into flames_. she thought to herself sarcastically.

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><p>The sun soon came up and the other students arrived. Some of them looked drowsy, others were wide awake in excitement at being able to drive the monstrous metal vehicles. "Commander, we shall conquer our foes with the mighty rounds of the British Empire!" one of the Cromwell team members shouted enthusiastically, holding up a 75mm round and laughing, before falling off the hull due to the weight.<p>

"Well, on the bright side," Lupa said, looking at the other teams with an ambivalent expression on her face. "They're just as inexperienced as we are, if not less so." she watched them from the top hull door, arms rested on the small turret incapable of covering the entire vehicle.

"Well that's a barrel of consolidation." Wolf replied, wincing and covering her ears as a whistle screeched.

"Listen up," Georgia announced, standing in the center of the field. "This match will be a free-for-all. The winner will be the last one standing."

"Edda, can you run her over?" Wolf asked the driver.

"Hush, Wolf." Erika shushed her, intent on hearing the instructions laid down.

"Clarisse and the other student council members will give you all maps to show you the location you start out at." Georgia snapped her fingers and the student council members obeyed her order, handing out the maps. Lupa leaned down and took the parchment, looking it over before sliding into the hull, careful not to kick Wolf, before handing it to Erika to have a look over.

"What's that phrase they use whenever a match starts?" Georgia asked one of her fellow council members, who whispered into her ear. "Panzer vor!" she cried out.

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><p>"I hate this sport." Wolf stated firmly, as the M1139 finally reached it's destination. "Why didn't you tell me this crappy little tank only went 9 mph off road?" she asked Lupa, although Edda was the one who answered.

"It's not _that _bad." the Italian American huffed in exasperation with the gunner's complaining.

"Edda, if you put all the tanks together and had a race, we would end up last. Even the bloody Lee goes faster than us." Wolf replied, the M3 being the only tank she had next to any knowledge on. "It's _that _bad."

"The both of you hush." Erika stated, and the two of them fell silent.

Lupa took the binoculars from around her neck and perused the area. Luckily they were situated in a forested part of the area, providing much needed cover. The ridge a short distance from them provided a good firing range in case another tank unwittingly drive through the meadow and unknowingly revealed their flanks to the M11/39.

_Blam_.

The serene environment was interrupted by the loud blast of a tank gun. Lupa yelped and almost fell off of the hull as the round hit a tree no more than two yards away from her. _That could have been me_.

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><p>"Prêt?" the Somua commander, and head of the French linguistics club, asked.<p>

The radio operator took another round and slammed it into position before nodding. "Oui."

"Off with the heads of the bourgeoisie." the commander shouted, before pulling the trigger.

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><p>"Turn around, turn around, turn around!" Wolf repeatedly told the driver, muttering several obscenities under her breath, as Edda tried her best to get the M1139 started.

"Calm down, Wolf." the radio operator said. The gunner reached for a 37mm round and with all her might, pushed it into place. "Lupa, are you alright?" Erika asked, concerned after the proximity of the blast.

Lupa slid down into the hull compartment, careful not to accidentally kick or otherwise irritate the gunner. "I'm fine," she reassured the others, a dazed expression on her face. The knowledge that she could have been seriously injured or worse filled her with a strange euphoria. The driver sent the M11/39 forward, as another round flew towards the tank, missing it once again.

"What's the battle plan?" Erika asked.

"Wait until we're a short distance away, then - " the Somua's 47mm fired again, this time managing to graze the edge of the M11/39's hull. The screeching sound caused both the radio operator, driver, and commander to cover their ears, while Edda seemed strangely unfazed, simply sending the M11/39 forward at top speed. "Swing around and try to get a shot on them with our 37mm."

Erika sighed at the murky orders. "I suppose it's as good a plan as any." she stood up and traversed the turret to face the S35, firing on the French tank with the 8mm Breda machine guns. "Just try and not get us killed, Lupa."

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><p><strong>Arrivederci.<strong>


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